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A DAVID KIDMAN REVIEW FOR ACOUSTIC ROTHERHAM
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ANNA SHANNON
OVER LAND
Anna Shannon – OVER LAND (Chloë Productions)
Over Land is Scarborough-
For, as Acoustic Rotherham devotees (and folks around the northern scene) already
know, she makes a hell of an impression in live performance, where she brings to
her lyrical and sensitively evocative songs her seriously stunning singing voice
and some intensely accomplished musicianship that encompasses distinctive guitar
work (influenced by both classical Spanish and folk stylings) and occasional excursions
onto whistle and percussion. (She’s also a more than capable exponent of fiddle,
flute and oboe by the way, and these instruments all get brief but effective airings
on this new record, which scores points by virtue of its sparse yet richly-
Strictly speaking, Over Land’s immediate predecessor, the lovely, intimate When We
Were Young album (released back in 2008), should have brought her name to the attention
of every right-
It actually also forms a neat bridge between albums (and, I guess, creative periods in Anna’s writing), since its opening two tracks (A Little Piece Of Africa and Frost On The Larch) also occur on When We Were Young and just happen to be two of its strongest songs.
The reason for the re-
Mike’s rather special, (umm) silvery-
Moving on through the album, Anna glides over land (and sea) to retell the tale of
the flight of golden eagles returning to their native Scotland, then comes to earth
and settles down for a sequence of songs with the land (the soil) as a loose connecting
theme.
Three tracks carry the special resonance of Anna’s own stamping ground: the rather
bluntly-
Two songs powerfully retell old tales: the ballad of Charlotte Dymond, based on a Bodmin legend, comes straight out of Mike Silver Country, while Velvet Green (a standout track) is an old English fable on the consequences of infidelity which has a stark traditional feel and moves eerily from acappella to fiddle and hurdy gurdy drone accompaniment.
Several of the other songs would have fitted in well on When We Were Young, two in particular feeling complementary to that earlier album, both being reflections from the point of view of a farmer (Where Once He Laboured affectionately recalls years spent with his working horse, while No Money For Old Rope tells of being defeated by technology and modern ways). Dancing With Lilies was written for Anna’s youngest daughter, while Bravios Gryengro provides a historical window into the life of a Romany.
So why, despite its many virtues, do I still have a lingering feeling that Over Land
isn’t quite as consistent a set as its predecessor? I suppose it might be that I’ve
grown to love When We Were Young so much that it will inevitably take a little longer
for any new album (however good) to surpass it; but it’s equally possible that while
each song is strong individually, there’s sometimes a sense that Anna’s melodies
aren’t all quite as immediately distinctive this time around. This may just be a
false impression, and certainly when I take a step back and at further remove from
the earlier album Over Land scores especially highly and on its own terms is definitely
an immensely appealing and rewarding experience – which in the end is how it should
be assessed.
Oh, and the accompanying artwork is sheer magic, nothing less. Click on the CD Cover to see it in it’s full glory! Anna’s is a very very special talent, so miss this release at your peril!
Anna Shannon
Since being awarded BBC Radio “Yorkshire Songwriter of the Year” in August 2006 Anna
has been forging a steady path into the folk singer-
From a classical musical background (flute, oboe, saxophone and violin) Anna has
featured in line-
Since Aug.2006 she has released four albums of original material all of which have been met with overwhelming critical support.
Anna’s fifth album, OVER LAND, is due to be released on February 15th 2010.As with two of her previousalbums OVER LAND is a themed work of twelve tracks and in this instance Anna uses the land, (a subject extremely close to her heart) as an intriguing backdrop for each song. These songs convey the land in all its guises. e.g. it’s beauty and wildness, also the far ranging emotions that it provokes.
Mike Silver, who produced the album, joins Anna on five of the tracks on guitar and ciatro and Jake Walton plays hurdy gurdy on two tracks. Anna’s oboe, flutes, octave fiddle and alto recorder enhance the album throughout.
What people say about Anna….
“I have had the honour of sharing the stage with Anna Shannon, She's a truly fine multi instrumentalist, a great singer and as far as I'm concerned, a major song writing talent. The clubs and festivals are yearning for what she has to offer”
Vin Garbutt
“A singer / songwriter of the highest calibre. Her thoughtful and imaginative guitar accompaniment is a true match to these fine songs”
Martyn Wyndham-
“Anna is a very good songwriter and her songs are of great merit. She is a polished performer who deserves greater recognition. We will hear more of Anna in the years to come.”
Alan Bell, Director of Fylde Festival.
“ Her vocal power echoes the strength of Sinead o’ Connor. Considerable song writing and vocal talents. Amazingly she’s still unsigned!”
Sean McGhee, Rock ‘n’ Reel magazine
Anna Shannon
a versatile multi-
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